Dear Jaypee Sports,
First of all, congratulations on successfully holding the First ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in India, a moment all motorsports and automobile fans in India had been waiting for, for a long time.
While I really enjoyed the event and would love to be back there next year to witness it all over again, there were a few things I found lacking and would appreciate, if they could be addressed by next year:
Parking Lots: Parking lots at the Buddh International Circuit are essentially just fields with barricades. Due to the sandy nature of the area around Buddha International Circuit, these parking lots not only produce a lot of dust and dust clouds which literally engulfed the circuit after the race on the 30th of October, but also got a few cars stuck. One car in particular I saw at the parking lot, had almost half of its front wheels dug into ground and I am sure, would have needed the help of another vehicle or maybe even a crane, to get out of that mess.
Laying concrete or tar should ensure that not only the dust is less the next time around (which all F1 drivers complained about), parking lots also look a lot more professionally made and thus make a good first impression on the first time visitor.
Merchandise Shops: It was only after the race was over and I met with a friend later in the evening, who had taken the bus to the circuit that I actually came to know that there were merchandise shops at the circuit, at the bus parking lots! Had I known this earlier, I would have surely bought some merchandise and also my other friends, who were also there at the race and were looking for merchandise shops, but couldn’t spot one and thus were forced to come back empty handed.
Next time around, please place these merchandise shops alongside the refreshment stands, as it would not only lead to more sales for your company, but also easier access for the fans.
Parking Stickers: While it is quite a minor thing, but fact of the matter is, parking stickers supplied to be affixed on vehicles, were poorly made ones and were not only tad difficult to put on my motorcycle’s front mud guard, but also a pain to take off! I would really appreciate if a better sticker is made next time around, something which can be easily affixed and taken off. Alternatively getting rid of parking stickers altogether and replacing them with either parking tickets or maybe even a smart card would be even more welcomed.
Double fencing: Although I can understand the security needs to warrant double fencing, but it severely restricts the quality of photographs one can take. Although I somewhat managed with my DSLR, but majority of the people at the venue, who were taking photographs with their digital cameras, were left severely disappointed. Maybe the first fence can have large enough holes every couple of feet or so, so that people are able to put their lenses through the fence and take somewhat better photographs of the race, which in turn would only help to market the event to even more people, who will see the photographs from those who were present at the circuit and would be enticed to witness it first hand as well.
Apart from this, I can’t really think of any other major thing which needs drastic improvement and that is a testament to the ability of Jaypee Group and others involved in making this dream a reality, hats off to you guys and gals!
Hoping to be there at the Buddh International Circuit next year for the next round of Formula 1 Race, as well as other motorsports events, and hoping that MotoGP comes to India as well.
Regards,
Yogesh Sarkar
Ps. Hope you wouldn’t mind the fact that I am publishing this letter on my blog as well.
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